Viet Nam and Canada have agreed to strengthen practical cooperation in environment, clean energy, natural resource management, trade and investment, aiming toward green, low-emissions growth and sustainable development. The two sides described this cooperation as a long-term foundation for deepening bilateral relations amid global climate change and economic transformation.
On Jan. 6, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Minister Tran Duc Thang met with Canada’s Minister of International Development Randeep Sarai and Canadian Ambassador to Viet Nam James Nickel.
Cooperation on environment, energy and resource management
Minister Tran Duc Thang said Viet Nam attaches importance to its relationship with Canada and values the support provided by the Canadian government throughout Viet Nam’s development process. He said Canada’s development assistance programs, policy cooperation and technical support have contributed to strengthening governance capacity, advancing reforms and supporting Viet Nam’s response to natural disasters, climate change and sustainable development challenges.
Minister Sarai said Canada considers Viet Nam a key strategic partner in the Asia-Pacific region, adding that growing political trust between the two countries provides favorable conditions for expanding practical cooperation in economic development, agriculture, environment and sustainability.
He also expressed sympathy over the damage caused by recent storms and flooding in Viet Nam, and said Canada would continue to support disaster recovery efforts and initiatives to strengthen climate resilience.
Discussing long-term cooperation, Minister Tran Duc Thang said that during the 2026–2030 period, Viet Nam aims to sustain high economic growth while facing increasing pressure from energy demand, environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. He said Viet Nam views the transition toward green, low-emissions growth as an inevitable requirement and seeks to enhance cooperation with Canada, which has experience in sustainable development.
In the energy sector, Viet Nam called on Canada to share experience and technology related to energy transition, particularly renewable energy development, efficient energy use and energy security. Canada said green and clean energy offers strong potential for bilateral cooperation and expressed readiness to support Viet Nam through technical cooperation, knowledge sharing, business linkages and policy development. The two sides also discussed cooperation on emissions assessment, carbon accounting and energy transition mechanisms suited to Viet Nam’s conditions.
Environmental protection and natural resource management were identified as key pillars of cooperation. Viet Nam expressed interest in learning from Canada’s experience in ocean governance and marine economy development, particularly sustainable fisheries linked with monitoring technologies and fisheries resource protection. Canada said it is prepared to coordinate through its embassy to deploy experts to support Viet Nam in improving marine resource and ecosystem management.
In forestry, Minister Tran Duc Thang proposed closer cooperation on sustainable forest management, afforestation, landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation and forest fire prevention. Canada shared its experience in balancing economic development, environmental protection and the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in sustainable mineral extraction and processing. Minister Tran Duc Thang said Viet Nam hopes Canada will share experience and connect companies with advanced technologies to invest in mineral extraction and deep processing, including rare earths, to increase value added while minimizing environmental impacts and ensuring benefits for local communities. Canada said its mineral management strategy emphasizes environmental protection, occupational safety and community development, and expressed readiness to share experience and promote business cooperation.
Both sides agreed that closer cooperation on environment, energy and natural resource management would contribute to sustainable development goals and provide a durable foundation for Viet Nam–Canada relations amid the global green transition and climate change response.
Bilateral trade expands in a complementary and sustainable direction
Minister Tran Duc Thang said Viet Nam–Canada trade has maintained positive growth, reflecting increasingly close economic ties. In 2025, bilateral trade was estimated at about $9 billion, making Viet Nam Canada’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and its sixth-largest partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
Canada is currently Viet Nam’s 14th-largest foreign investor, with 247 valid projects and total registered capital of nearly $4.82 billion. Leaders from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said they hope Canada will continue expanding investment in Viet Nam, particularly in clean energy, environmental protection, green technologies and sustainable mineral development.
Minister Sarai said Canada is reorienting its development cooperation policy to promote shared prosperity and strengthen bilateral economic relations, with food security and agricultural trade identified as priority areas. He said several new support programs for Viet Nam are under development and approval, and that Canada seeks to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to accelerate implementation.
On agricultural trade, Minister Sarai said Canada appreciates Viet Nam’s efforts to facilitate market access for Canadian agricultural products, including salmon. The two sides agreed to continue coordinating on technical procedures, including quarantine certification, updates to product lists and eligible exporting facilities, while ensuring compliance with food safety standards and international practices, in order to expand market access for agricultural products from both countries.
On food safety, Minister Tran Duc Thang said Viet Nam seeks to continue learning from Canada’s food safety management models, viewing them as essential to improving agricultural product quality, protecting consumer health and facilitating bilateral agricultural trade. Minister Sarai said Canada is ready to continue supporting Viet Nam by sharing experience in managing agricultural value chains in line with international standards, helping to strengthen market confidence and promote stable trade growth.
Both sides said further progress in Viet Nam–Canada relations would require continued efforts to promote investment, facilitate Canadian business operations in Viet Nam and support greater access for Vietnamese goods, particularly agricultural products, to the Canadian market. Strengthening business linkages and policy coordination was identified as key to fully realizing the potential of bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
On October 17, in Hanoi, Acting Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang received and held a working session with Mr. Honna Hitoshi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Erex Co., Ltd. (Japan). The discussion focused on promoting cooperation in biomass energy, green transition, and carbon market development in Vietnam.
Promoting carbon neutrality has become an urgent requirement for advancing sustainable agriculture and realizing Vietnam’s commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Strengthening understanding of greenhouse gas measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, as well as the carbon credit mechanism, is a crucial step for the agricultural sector to actively engage in the carbon market and foster a genuine green transition.
As the digital economy continues to reshape global trade, Vietnam’s agriculture stands at a crucial crossroads, full of opportunities yet facing multiple challenges. Digital transformation is widely regarded as the key to strengthening competitiveness, expanding market reach, and building sustainable agricultural brands. However, technological infrastructure, digital skills, and investment costs remain major obstacles.
That is the central message of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management 2025. This year’s commemorative activities focus on young people, the future stewards of the nation, with the belief that investing in youth today means laying the strongest foundation for a safer and more sustainable tomorrow. Equipping the younger generation with knowledge, skills, and awareness in disaster prevention and response is an investment in the collective “resilience” of the entire community.
On October 8 in Hanoi, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang received Mr. Pekka Voutilainen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to Vietnam.
